Chu Kong’s Soothing Tilapia Jook

The Chinese rice porridge (jook) with fish at Chu Kong Seafood is a thing of beauty, starting with live tilapia netted from the pristine tank in front, says Melanie Wong.

This dish isn’t on the menu, but it’s available by request for $20 (a good price for the quality, and an amount that could easily feed three). Order it and you’ll get tilapia two ways: thin fillets poached in the creamy, deeply flavored jook, and then the head, bones, and tail laid on top of silky squares of tofu, steamed with a light black bean sauce. It was so tasty that Melanie was sucking the bones.

In the shadow of popular nearby spot Asian Pearl, the modest Chu Kong is easily overlooked. But while it’s not new, it’s well-maintained and spotless. In addition to the jook, barbecued pork soup noodles are very tasty, served in a deep and rich broth with choy sum (a dark leafy green) that’s been given a turn in the wok for extra flavor.